Age Specific Mortality Rate Trends

Intro

This doc will describe some of the average trends at specific ages from 21 high income countries.

It is inspired by Christensen 2010, which showed

• Probability of dying in next 12 months
• At age 80 and age 90
• Males and females
• Selected countries
  • England & Wales
  • France
  • East Germany
  • West Germany
  • Japan
  • Sweden
  • USA

However, as per the figures in White 2002), the average of 21 high income countries will be used instead, as well as the best-performing country at these different age groups.

Additionally, the 12 month mortality probabilities at the following ages will also be calculated:

• 0-1 years
• 40 years

The aim will be to determine how strongly the (log of these) trends are correlated.

Pre reqs

pacman::p_load(
  tidyverse, HMDHFDplus,
  ggrepel, plotly
)
dta_Mx <- read_rds("tidy_data/Mx_data.rds")

Define countries

source("scripts/country_definitions.R")

Replication of Fig 2 of Christenson et al 2010

dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(80, 90)) %>% 
  filter(
    code %in% c("GBRTENW", "FRATNP", "DEUTE", "DEUTW", "JPN", "SWE", "USA")
  ) %>%      
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2003)) %>% 
  ggplot(
    aes(x = year, y = Mx, colour = code, group = code)
  ) + 
  geom_line() +
  facet_grid(age ~ sex)

And how has this developed since?

dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(80, 90)) %>% 
  filter(
    code %in% c("GBRTENW", "FRATNP", "DEUTE", "DEUTW", "JPN", "SWE", "USA")
  ) %>%      
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2017)) %>% 
  ggplot(
    aes(x = year, y = Mx, colour = code, group = code)
  ) + 
  geom_line() +
  facet_grid(age ~ sex)

It’s interesting that life expectancies have at age 80 have converged, for males especially. And that they’ve levelled off in Japan over the 2000s, while continued to improve in the USA.

In England/Wales they Mx at age 90 seem to have increased for females especially in recent years.

Let’s look at this for the average of the 21 countries

Now let’s do this for the average of the 21 high income countries

dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(80, 90)) %>% 
  filter(code %in% high_income_countries) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2016)) %>% 
  group_by(year, age, sex) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = year, y = mean_Mx, colour = sex)) + 
  facet_wrap(~age) +
  geom_point()

Let’s now use log rather than linear

dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(80, 90)) %>% 
  filter(code %in% high_income_countries) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2016)) %>% 
  group_by(year, age, sex) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = year, y = mean_Mx, colour = sex)) + 
  facet_wrap(~age) +
  geom_point() +
  scale_y_log10()

So, the trends on % reductions have been more continuous for age 90 than age 80, and more continuous for females than males.

Let’s now do this for a couple of additional age groups

dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(0, 30, 80, 90)) %>% 
  filter(code %in% high_income_countries) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2016)) %>% 
  group_by(year, age, sex) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = year, y = mean_Mx, colour = sex)) + 
  facet_wrap(~age) +
  geom_point() +
  scale_y_log10()

Now let’s estimate the correlation between these trends

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex == "total") %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2016))  %>% 
  filter(age %in% c(0, 30, 80, 90)) %>% 
  group_by(year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx, 10)) 
dta_trnd %>% 
  select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
  mutate(age = paste0("age_", age)) %>% 
  spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>%
  select(-year) %>% 
  cor()

           age_0    age_30    age_80    age_90
age_0  1.0000000 0.9201582 0.9765313 0.9827364
age_30 0.9201582 1.0000000 0.9502384 0.9410485
age_80 0.9765313 0.9502384 1.0000000 0.9855633
age_90 0.9827364 0.9410485 0.9855633 1.0000000

So, as expected, % improvements in infancy are more strongly correlated with those at age 80 and 90 than at age 30, and % changes at age 90 are less strongly correlated than with those at other ages.

Let’s do this as a heatmap for all ages

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex == "total") %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2016))  %>% 
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  group_by(year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx, 10)) 
tmp <- dta_trnd %>% 
  select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
  spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>%
  select(-year) %>% 
  cor() 
cor_df <- tmp %>% 
  as_tibble() %>% 
  mutate(from_age = rownames(tmp)) %>% 
  gather(key="to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
  mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
cor_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal()

Definitely a ‘wow’ figure!

Interesting that the trends that apply at older ages don’t apply at the oldest ages (from around age 96 onwards)

Let’s see how different it looks by gender.

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2016))  %>% 
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  group_by(sex, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx, 10)) %>% 
  group_by(sex) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_wrap(~sex)

Again, beautiful, staggering, and awesome. This is like seeing the genome of population health improvement being mapped. The gender differences in the differences in correlation are very apparent.

Let’s extend this to a few few select countries:

• France
• Sweden?
• UK
• USA
• Spain (Identified as most compatible with Lee-Carter modelling approach)
• Japan

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("FRATNP", "SWE", "GBR_NP", "USA", "ESP", "JPN")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2016))  %>% 
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  group_by(code, sex, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx + 0.00001, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, code) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, code, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ code)

Let’s do this just for the UK nations

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBRTENW", "GBR_SCO", "GBR_NIR")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2016))  %>% 
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  group_by(code, sex, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx + 0.00001, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, code) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, code, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c(limits = c(-1,1)) +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~code) + 
  labs(x = "Age", y = "Age", title = "Correlations between rates of change in log mortality risk age different ages",
       subtitle = "Trends from 1955-2016. England & Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland",
       caption = "Source: Human Mortality Database. Available from https://github.com/JonMinton/Life_expectancy_limits/")
ggsave("figures/trend_correlation_heatmap.png", height = 20, width = 25, units = "cm", dpi = 300)

Although plotly doesn’t convert faceting too easily, can I use ggplotly for hovering over values for Scotland males alone?

ggplotly now works with faceted plots! (Though the number of observations looks like it causes things to struggle!)

For Scotland and England & Wales (independently), how have the correlations changed over time?

England/Wales first:

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBRTENW")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2010))  %>%
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  mutate(
    decade = cut(year, breaks = seq(1950, 2010, by = 10), labels = c("1950s", "1960s", "1970s", "1980s", "1990s", "2000s"), include.lowest = TRUE)
  ) %>% 
  group_by(sex, decade, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, decade) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, decade, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ decade)

Now for Scotland.

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBR_SCO")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2010))  %>%
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  mutate(
    decade = cut(year, breaks = seq(1950, 2010, by = 10), labels = c("1950s", "1960s", "1970s", "1980s", "1990s", "2000s"), include.lowest = TRUE)
  ) %>% 
  group_by(sex, decade, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx + 0.00001, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, decade) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, decade, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ decade)

Northern Ireland

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBR_NIR")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1950, 2010))  %>%
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  mutate(
    decade = cut(year, breaks = seq(1950, 2010, by = 10), labels = c("1950s", "1960s", "1970s", "1980s", "1990s", "2000s"), include.lowest = TRUE)
  ) %>% 
  group_by(sex, decade, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx + 0.00001, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, decade) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, decade, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ decade)

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBRTENW")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2015))  %>%
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  mutate(
    decade = cut(year, breaks = seq(1955, 2015, by = 10), include.lowest = TRUE)
  ) %>% 
  group_by(sex, decade, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, decade) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, decade, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ decade)

Now for Scotland.

dta_trnd <- dta_Mx %>% 
  filter(sex != "total") %>%
  filter(code %in% c("GBR_SCO")) %>% 
  filter(between(year, 1955, 2015))  %>%
  filter(age <= 109) %>% 
  mutate(
    decade = cut(year, breaks = seq(1955, 2015, by = 10), include.lowest = TRUE)
  ) %>% 
  group_by(sex, decade, year, age) %>% 
  summarise(mean_Mx = mean(Mx, na.rm = T)) %>% 
  ungroup() %>% 
  mutate(log_mean_Mx = log(mean_Mx + 0.00001, 10)) %>% # Correction for Sweden
  group_by(sex, decade) %>% 
  nest()
cors_df <- dta_trnd %>% 
  mutate(cors = map(
    data, 
    function(X) {
      X %>% 
        select(-mean_Mx) %>% 
        spread(age, log_mean_Mx) %>% 
        select(-year) %>% 
        cor()
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  mutate(cor_df = map(
    cors,
    function(X){
      X %>% 
        as_tibble() %>% 
        mutate(from_age = rownames(X)) %>% 
        gather(key = "to_age", value = "value", -from_age) %>% 
        mutate(from_age = as.numeric(from_age), to_age = as.numeric(to_age))
      }
    )
  ) %>% 
  select(sex, decade, cor_df) %>% 
  unnest()
cors_df %>% 
  filter(from_age <= 100, to_age <= 100) %>% 
  ggplot(aes(x = from_age, y = to_age, fill = value)) + 
  geom_tile() +
  scale_fill_viridis_c() +
  scale_x_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  scale_y_continuous(breaks = seq(0, 100, by = 10)) +
  coord_equal() + 
  facet_grid(sex ~ decade)